


The 25th Life

by prpldragon50



Series: Dark Places [1]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst, Dark Thoughts, F/M, Fighting, M/M, McDanno Bromance, No Liver Transplant Ever, Other, Pain, Possible Character Death, SEAL Steve McGarrett, Violence, Whump, mcdanno
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-04-24
Packaged: 2018-10-23 09:22:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10716609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prpldragon50/pseuds/prpldragon50
Summary: Steve finds himself in the fight for his life...and needs help from his best friend.





	The 25th Life

**Author's Note:**

> This is not a coda but a story that was inspired by episode 7X22. I needed more Whump and more comfort than was provided in that episode, if you can imagine. I am not a medical expert nor do I own anything #H50 related. Only inspiration...

The 25th Life

            Steve looks around, proud of his team.  Holding their ground and not letting anyone get through the ranks.  He’d planned for this and they can wait them out; wait until they’re out of ammo and then take them.  They needed them all alive.  He grinned to himself.  _Alive, but not necessarily in one piece or mobile in any way._

            His assignment is to keep the crew’s leader, Dyers, pinned down.  He really wants to put a bullet in his head after what he did, but he needs to curb his anger and do his job…and that is to bring this bastard in alive. 

            He looks around, fires off a couple of rounds and glances over to Danny, who rolls his eyes at him.  Danny hated this idea and as usual, called it stupid.  ‘It’s a stupid idea, Steve!  Wait until they run out of ammo?  What if they have more than we do?’  Danny had moaned and ranted all the way to the rendezvous, never letting him get a word in edgewise.  He’d known Danny would have his back, though, as he did not have a better idea.  He knows the ranting is Danny’s way of letting off steam; letting out his feelings; his worry and concern about him and the team.  They all know that and let him go whenever he starts and get it all out. 

            He nods back, grinning big at his partner. 

            Out of the corner of his eye, he sees movement and turns to see what it is. 

            “Fuck, he’s trying to run!”  He yells out, turning towards where Dyers is heading.  “MOVING!”  He screams into his comm and takes off.  He can hear the cover fire as he runs after Dyers into the surrounding jungle.  He throws down his rifle, knowing it will only slow him down and pulls out his SIG.  He weaves in between the trees, trying to keep Dyers in sight, not knowing, or caring, if anyone is behind him. 

            He comes to a clearing about half a mile from the camp and stops, not seeing Dyers or where he could have gone.  He immediately goes into SEAL mode, crouching slightly, turning from side-to-side trying to find any sight of him.  He slowly moves out into the small clearing, eyes scanning and ears listening for any hint of Dyers. 

            About two-thirds of the way across, he hears a noise from above and looks up.  Before he can turn around, he’s hit from behind, legs going around his torso, as Dyers swings down from a high branch.  He feels himself being lifted off the ground and before he can react, Dyers lets go and he falls through the air, flat on his back. 

            A loud grunt and groan escapes him as he hits the ground, coming down on a large rock in the middle of his back.  He wants to scream but nothing comes out.  His breath is knocked out of him as is a good portion of sense for the moment.  Blinking wildly, the pain moving up and down his back, trying to catch his breath, he tries to sit up, managing to get up on one elbow.  The sound of feet hitting the ground comes from behind him and before he can move his vest is grabbed at his shoulders; he’s lifted off the ground and flung through the air. 

            The collision with the tree happens faster than thought and he feels as ribs break, hips crack and bark rips away his skin as he crashes into the large tree.  Falling though the air to the ground, he grunts as pain shoots through his entire body.  Rolling on his back, he knows he needs to get up and defend himself.  He can’t let Dyers get an advantage again or he’s dead.  Driving through the pain, he sits up, expecting to turn around and see Dyers coming at him when he’s slammed from behind by two bullets, throwing him forward on his hands and knees.

            “Fuck me!”  He breathes out as he lands on his hands.  The pain shooting through his back brings spots before his eyes and an encroaching darkness.  Curling his hands in the dirt and biting the inside of his cheek, he forces himself back to full consciousness, concentrating on the pain in his mouth instead of the rest of his body.  Pulling from his SEAL training, he gets to his feet, spinning quickly to face Dyers.  Instincts and muscle memory take over as he goes into a roundhouse, knocking his own gun from Dyers’ hand.  His follow-through catches Dyers across the face, knocking him to the side and allowing Steve a moment to steady himself. 

            “You are one tough son-of-a-bitch, McGarrett.  I had my doubts.”  Dyers wipes away the blood from the corner of his mouth, grinning at Steve. 

            “I’ve developed a hard outer shell in this job.”  He moves a step to his left as Dyers moves to his left. 

            “Must have to be able to take two near-point blank range shots to the back.  Even with the vest, that has to hurt.” 

            “Pain is all in the mind.  Right now, I have more important things to think about.” 

            “Awww, are you still upset?  Come on, McGarrett, everyone is fine.  You shouldn’t hold a grudge.  Tends to cloud your mind.”  Dyers leaps at him. 

            Steve easily sidesteps him, grabbing him by the shoulder and pulling him down.  Dyers lands on his back, a loud ‘whoof’ escaping his mouth as Steve straddles him, hitting him first with a right across the jaw and then followed by a left.  Grabbing his left arm, he shoves it under his knee, holding it in place.  Hitting him a few more times, Steve doesn’t notice the movement of Dyers right arm. 

            The fury Steve’s had buried for several weeks starts to boil to the surface, as much as he tries to keep it buried, and he starts to lose control and pound Dyers.  He’s seeing red and his self-control is almost gone.  _This bastard almost took everything I love away from me!  He’s not getting away this time!_

            “Aggghhh!”  He screams out as a sharp pain lances through his left leg.  Glancing down, he sees the hidden knife Dyers pulled out and thrust into the middle of his calf. 

            He feels Dyers push the knife further into the solid flesh and rolls away to his -right, leg held up in the air.  “Son-of-a-bitch!”  He hisses, keeping Dyers in his peripheral vision.  He sees Dyers sit up, wiping the blood from his nose on the back of his hand.  He looks down at his leg and with the position of the knife, realizes that taking it out right now would be a mistake.  He pushes himself to his feet, never taking his eyes off Dyers.  Dyers upends himself, staring at Steve with fury in his eyes.  Steve glances down and sees the second knife in his hand and grins. 

            “Don’t get too cocky, McGarrett.  That knife is deep and you don’t have much time before you bleed out.”  Dyers chuckles. 

            “Awww, worried about me.  I’m touched.  I’ll have plenty of time after I put you down.” 

            Dyers lunges again, the knife aimed at Steve’s heart.  Steve twists, the pain in his leg causing him to hesitate, but he manages to block the strike and grab his arm, using his left hand to knock the knife out if Dyers hand.  Leaning on his injured leg, he brings his knee up into Dyers midsection, hard, and then brings his elbow crashing onto his back, smirking when he hears the crack of a couple of ribs.  Throwing Dyer to the ground, he searches for the knife, picking it up and turning. 

            “You’re looking a little pale there, _Commander_!  I don’t think you have much time.”  Dyers breathes heavily, the cracked ribs putting pressure on his lungs. 

            “You seem to be having a hard time breathing there Dyers.  One of those ribs shifts and you’re looking at suffocating.”  Steve grunts out. 

            Steve knows he needs to put this guy down now.  He’s right.  Steve doesn’t have much time.  He can feel his boot filling up with blood from the cut in his leg.  He feints moving left and goes right, aiming for Dyers shoulder.  Dyer, familiar with Steve’s moves, doesn’t fall for the bluff and grabs the outstretched arm, one hand on the one with the knife, pinning the arm under his.  Using gravity and momentum again, he swings Steve around, face first into the same tree he hit the first time. 

            Steve feels himself moving and can do nothing to stop it.  He feels the impact with the tree and screams out as each injury occurs.  The pain in his shoulder as Dyers pulls it back upon impact is the first pain that registers.  Next, the cracking and breaking of almost every rib on the right side of his body radiates through his body.  Before that pain even begins to hit its worst, pain explodes across his face as it makes contact with the tree and he experiences bright lights and loud fireworks in his head.  As the cracking, squishing and thudding fills his head, he almost wishes for death, or at least unconsciousness, to stop the slowing down of time.  Feeling every crack from his forehead down to his jaw, he screams again as pain now starts in his hip as it finally registers on his scale of pain and he can feel the break and loss of function in his right leg.  His knee scrapes against the tree and he can tell the knee cap is damaged and the cartilage ripping apart. 

            Before anything else can reach his addled brain, he’s falling…away from the life-stealing tree and onto his back.  Instinct has him turning his head to look at Dyers out of his left eye, which is coated with blood and all he sees is a blurry figure through a red haze.  In the back of his mind, his brain reveals to him that the knife is still in his hand and he clenches it tightly.  Through all the pain he can’t forget about his team; his family and all those he loves.  If this maniac gets away, he won’t stop until every one of them is dead.  Lifting his hand, he brings the tip down on Dyers foot, hitting right in the middle and he hears a blood-curdling scream from above. 

            “You fucker, you just won’t give up and die, will you!”  He hears Dyers scream and then feels his weight on him.  Training kicks in again and he gets one leg up and under Dyer as he tries for the knife in Steve’s right hand and he uses all his energy and rolls over using gravity to pin Dyer down.  He tries to use the knife but it’s knocked out of his hand.  Leaning on his left arm, he hits Dyer with his right and grabs his neck.  Bringing his right hand together with his left, he presses hard on Dyer’s windpipe, hoping to hear is snap.  Out of the corner of his left eye, he sees Dyer’s hand flailing and he squeezes tighter.  He feels Dyer’s left hand move over his face and in a split second he feels a sharp bite on his left upper inner arm and turns his head to see the second knife sticking in it. 

            He feels his world spinning as he’s flipped end over end and onto his back as his grip on the knife in his bicep rips it out and another scream leaves his throat.  Stars burst before his one good eye as bright electric blue streaks follow them across his field of vision.  His body is one big nerve and all its feeling is pain and his body meeting the ground with such force causes bones to shift and he finds it hard to breathe.  As the darkness creeps slowly in from the outside, he looks up through the haze of rawness and ache to the blurry form standing over him.  He tries to use the knife still in his hand but it doesn’t respond.  His body is no longer listening to the orders from his brain and he knows he’s done.  The figure has something big in its hands and he knows what it means.  Slowly he closes his good eye as two loud explosions, one right after the other, sear through his brain and he tries to open his eye.  Seeing through the slit he manages, he’s sees another form move over him and hears a double thud behind his head. 

            He relaxes at the next thing he hears and allows the darkness to creep in and overtake him. 

            “Steve?  Steve, babe?  I’m here.  I got ya.”  He feels a warmth on the good side of his face.  “I got ya.”  Is the last thing he hears and the darkness envelops him. 

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

            He feels all warm and fuzzy as consciousness drifts over his brain.  He feels as though he’s wrapped in clouds and floating through the air.  Nothing hurts.  He smiles to himself at that thought considering the last thing he remembers is pain…and nothing but. 

            _No, wait, there was something else.  Comfort.  Warmth.  An oasis from the pain._

_Danny!_

“Steve?”  He hears from beside him. 

            “D’nnee.”  He mumbles, still feeling woozy and fuzzy. 

            “Yeah, I’m here, Steve.  You’re safe, babe.”  He hears the strong, soft, comforting voice say.          

            He tries to say more, but his brain and mouth won’t cooperate.  A mumble leaves his throat and he moans. 

            “Hey, don’t try and talk.  Just relax.  It’s good to have you back, though.”  He feels a slight squeeze on his forearm.  “Just about everybody’s been in and out of here the last few days checking on you.” 

            He tries to relax but he needs to know.  “Wha’ hpnd?”  He tries again but his mouth just won’t move right. 

            “Shhh, I said don’t try to talk.  You can’t even follow simple orders when lying in bed, half your body broken into little pieces.”  His voice is soft and gentle despite the words. 

            He tries to open his eyes and discovers only one will open.  He squints against the low light, realizing it must be nighttime as he can see the open shades.  Again he tries to speak but nothing comes out.  He feels completely worn out with just this small interaction and before he can stop it, he falls back into a deep sleep. 

            Coming out of darkness the next time is a little more focused and he can hear voices around him.  Latching on to the most familiar, he concentrates on what that voice is saying to bring him around. 

            “I don’t know, Mary, the doctors are cautiously optimistic about his chances.  He suffered some serious injuries and is gonna need a lot of time and therapy to overcome the physical ones, not to say the psychological ones.  This guy was relentless.  That’s why I had to shoot to kill.  We were supposed to take him alive but I couldn’t take a chance.  I know, Mary, I know.  I’m sure if Joanie were feeling better you’d be on the next flight, but you need to take care of her.  We are all here for Steve.  We got him.  Yeah, he’s been in and out but no more than a minute or so.  Once he’s able to stay awake for more than a few minutes, I’ll call.  I promise.  Okay.  Bye.” 

            “Dnny?” 

            “Hey, babe, good to see you.”  He feels the bed dip a little as Danny leans on it and he can feel his breath on the left side of his face.  He shifts his eye and, though a little blurry, he sees those ocean blue eyes of his best friend.  “No, don’t speak.”  He laughs.  “Do you know how many times I’ve dreamed of this?  No?  Oh, of what?  Of you not being able to interrupt me, no matter how much you want.  Why not?  Oh, my dear Steve, I will tell you, but I need to get the doctor in here first.  He made me promise that the next time you woke, I needed to page him.” 

            He hears the clicking and tones and then Danny asking to page the doctor to his room.  He tries to reach over and take Danny’s arm, but his body still isn’t obeying commands from his brain and his hand falls flat on the bed. 

            “No, don’t, Steve.  Just lie still.  You have a long recovery ahead of you.  You are gonna hate every moment of it, but you WILL have to follow doctors orders on this if you want to mobile in the future.” 

            Steve wants to ask what he means, but the door opens and two unfamiliar people walk in. 

            “So, I see our patient is finally awake?”  The tall, plain looking woman asks. 

            “Yes, Dr. Wember.  He just woke up a couple minutes ago.  Seems pretty lucid today.”  He hears Danny answer. 

            “Well, let’s see what we have here.”  Steve follows her with his one eye as she approaches the bed. 

            “I’m gonna go out and make some calls while they examine you, okay Steve?  I know everyone will want to know you’re awake and lucid.”  He sees Danny smile and his heart warms and he feels safe.  He blinks his acquiescence and watches him walk out the door. 

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

            “Are you sure you wanna hear this?”  Danny asks, pacing the room.  The doctor had finished her exam and felt they could now be optimistic at his chances and left with instructions that her patient have no more than three visitors at any one time and for no more than 30 minutes.  He still needs his rest and, once his lung, liver and intestines heal more, he can start to become a little more active.  If only sitting up in bed.  Danny had nodded, agreeing completely and Steve could see that he was loving the fact that he was completely immobile and all but mute. 

            He blinks at his partner, needing to know what happened after he lost consciousness and how badly he’s hurt. 

            “Okay.”  He looks over at Chin and Kono, nodding to them.  “What do you want first?  What happened out there in the jungle or how bad?”  He blinks twice, wanting to know what he’s dealing with.  “All right.  The second choice.  Got it.”  He watches Danny take a deep breath and sit down on the chair next to the bed.  “You got pretty beat up, my friend.  This guy did a job on you.  We were all surprised that you survived, I gotta say.  Anyway, let’s start the list.  From the bottom up, the knife in your calf cut some of the muscles and veins and you lost a great deal of blood from that injury.  They’ve already stitched it up and it’s healing nicely, so they say.  It’s gonna be awhile before you will be able to put any weight on it, though.  As for your hips, you have several fractures and breaks which require you to remain immobile for a few more days.  You managed to have almost all you ribs either broken or fractured, one puncturing your lung, one your liver and one cutting through a bit of your small intestines.  You were bleeding severely internally and had to be taken into the OR almost immediately.  Your heart was bruised but no major damage.  Both collar bones were fractured and your left bicep was stabbed through, more muscle damage like your leg.”  He stops, staring into Steve’s good eye.  “You sure you wanna hear the rest?  Sure you’re up for it?”  Steve blinks at him, hoping his annoyance comes through. 

            “Okay, okay.  Hold your horses.”  He watches Danny look across the room.  “ I love that he can't talk back.  Too bad this is gonna end soon.”  He grins big, looking back at a questioning eye.  “Fine.  At some time, this guy managed to smash you into that tree in the right side of your face and broke almost every bone on that side of your face.  Your skull, orbit, cheek, nose and jaw.  That’s why you can’t talk.  Your jaw has been wired shut to allow it to heal.  They’ve been monitoring you closely and only in the last couple of days have they cut back on the sedatives and allowed you wake up.  The plastics guy has done the first round and says will need a couple more surgeries to completely rebuild your face but he says he has no doubt that you won’t be able to tell there was any damage unless you know where to look.  There was some swelling in your brain, but they were able to keep that under control and, well, here you are today.” 

            Steve closes his eye, not realizing how bad off he was.  _No wonder I was in such pain.  How, and why, am I still alive?_

            “I don’t know, buddy.”  Danny answers, as if he can read his mind.  “You must have several cats in you somewhere, cause I swear you’ve gone through at least 25 lives since I’ve known you.”  He sees Danny smile at him and feels his hand on his arm.  The warmth coming through that light touch gladdens his heart and he’s happy he didn’t give up.  He watches as Danny looks over at Chin and Kono and hears them get up. 

“We’ll be back later, boss.  We’ve overstayed out time.”  He hears Kono say, her face just coming into his field of vision. 

“Yeah, we’ll be back later, Steve.  Rest and we’ll have you up and about in no time.”  He sees Chin’s smiling face and he blinks at both of them. 

“You scared the hell out of me, Steven.”  He hears after the door closes.  “When I ran up on that clearing and I saw Dyers with that huge rock over you, ready to bring it down on your head, I thought that was it.  I brought my gun to bear and pulled the trigger, not thinking about the case.  Only you mattered.  I ran over to you and wanted to take you in my arms as I saw the light go out in your eye, but Chin stopped me just in time.  I could have done more damage.  I wasn’t thinking.  I just knew I needed to be there for you.  I never left your side until they made me.  The last four weeks have been the worst of my life.”  Steve frowns and touches Danny’s arm.  “Oh, yeah, you’ve been out for four weeks.  Doc says you’re gonna be in here for at least another six to eight, then a rehab facility for another two months before you will be allowed to go home.  No, you do not get to leave AMA this time.” 

Steve sees the serious look in his partner’s eyes and knows he will do whatever he’s told.  He can’t allow that look to remain in those blue eyes. 

Feeling sleep coming over him, he touches the arm again, blinking once. 

“I know, Steve, I know.”  He hears the love and friendship in those words and knows Danny understands how grateful he is to have him here. 

                                                The End. 

**Author's Note:**

> I have many to thank for inspiration to get this story finished...A_, PP, Bryna, KD, ELove only to name a few. I hope you enjoy this and the many to follow.


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